


A Cold Day in a Cell

by Goody



Category: The Flash (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: He isn't happy, He's especially mad when people hurt his Len, Hurt Barry, Hurt Snart, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort for days, Is he ever though?, M/M, Mick shows up, Mick shows up later, Might become slash, Snart doesn't work for anyone, Snart outsmarts, Snart's not a hero, Will definitely have tones, You better believe it, Zoom recruits the rogues, except he is, h/c
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-06-01 14:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6524038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goody/pseuds/Goody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonard Snart was on his way to save Barry Allen, but that didn’t make him a hero. Barry was simply the devil he knew, and Zoom was simply the devil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not Legends of Tomorrow compliant, we're just in the Flash universe with this one. Enjoy!

Leonard Snart was having a perfectly fine day. His safe house air conditioning was keeping his work space just chilly enough to be comfortable, Mick was barbecuing outside and Snart had just finished up the plans for their next heist, knocking over the cash room at The Iceberg Casino. He smirked as he looked over the blueprints. He had never knocked over a casino before, there were too many variables, but he liked the challenge as much as he liked staying on theme. 

He leaned back to take a contented sip of his beer then the world became a blur of blue lightning. He gasped as he found himself on his feet and off balance. Blinking, he realized he was standing in a dimly lit warehouse, and he wasn’t alone. The who’s who of Central City’s metahumans were all there; Mark Mardon, Roy Bivolo, Lashawn Baez, and Kyle Nimbus. He recognized all of them from when he had busted them out of Flash’s personal gitmo prison, and they all looked just as confused as he was to be there.

“What …?”

Before Mardon could finish his question another blur of blue lightning deposited a sixth person in their group. Snart had never met him but recognized Joseph Monteleone, low level mob runner who had turned into Tar Pit when the particle accelerator exploded.

The blur circled the room once more and then came to a stop in front of them, revealing himself to be a black-suited speedster in a terrifying mask. 

Snart sighed. “Zoom.”

And it had been such a fine day.

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

“You know this guy? This one of your messes, Snart?” Mardon asked. Snart rolled his eyes.

“I read the newspaper, something that’s clearly above your skill set, Mardon. He broke the Flash’s back in front of the entire city, that’s hard to forget.”

“So what do you want with us? What are we doing here?” Lashawn asked.

“I’m taking control of this city. Tearing it down piece by piece,” Zoom answered, his voice somehow sounding like it was made from gravel grinding together at the bottom of a well.

“That involves us, how?” Tar Pit asked angrily, his eyes flashing black. Snart took a casual step away from the guy who seemed like he may explode, literally and figuratively.

“I require lieutenants to handle this city and The Flash.”

Snart crossed his arms.

“Let me guess, you need our help killing him? People have tried that before …” Snart gave a side-long look to Mardon. “… it didn’t work out great.”

Weather Wizard snarled and frost started to form on his fingertips, but Zoom sped forward and got in Snart’s face before either of them could do anything. Snart met the speedster’s terrible black gaze but even he had to admit it wasn’t easy to hold.

“You’re not going to kill The Flash,” Zoom said, making Snart raise an eyebrow. Zoom sped away and the huge doors at the other end of the warehouse opened up to reveal a smaller room with a glass cage inside. Snart’s eyebrows furrowed. He recognized the red figure inside. “You’re going to watch him.”

The six villains made their way across the warehouse floor, their curiosity overpowering their confusion at the moment. As Snart got closer there was no doubt about it, Zoom had Barry Allen locked up in a cage. Well this day just got more interesting than he needed it to be.

“Zoom, I’m gonna get out of here!” Barry yelled, pounding a fist uselessly against the glass. “You can’t keep me in here forever!”

“Ha!” Lashawn laughed, pounding her own fist against the glass as though in victory. “It’s not nice being stuck in a shitty prison, is it Flash?”

Looking around the room Snart saw the same joy on the faces of the other villains who had been held in Flash’s personal prison and knew Zoom had instantly won them over to do whatever he wanted them to. That could be a problem.

“This is better than he deserves,” Bivolo added, motioning towards the cell. “He can still talk to us, see what’s happening. It’s more than he ever gave us.”

“When does he die?” Nimbus asked, his hand turning to mist as he reached out to touch the glass. Barry took a step back, worried the man may try it, but he needn’t have worried as Zoom sped in and forced Nimbus back.

“After he watches his city burn, along with everyone he loves. Then he dies … by my hand.”

Snart had to resist rolling his eyes when he saw Barry take a shuddering breath at Zoom’s announcement. The boy really had the worst poker face. Even now he took in the group gathered around with a growing look of fear, until he spotted Leonard observing the proceedings coolly from the back of the room. A flash of hope crossed over Barry’s face when he spotted him, but Snart crushed that immediately, shaking his head the tiniest amount; no matter what agreement they had, he was not here to save Barry Allen, a message the Flash seemed to accept instantly as his shoulders fell. Snart just had to hope that Barry didn’t go running his mouth off about any of their past arrangements. Mardon would not take it well if he knew he had warned Flash about his last assassination attempt with Trickster.

“So, what do we do?” Mardon asked Zoom.

“And what’s in it for us?” Snart added.

“Is it always about money with you?” Mardon fired back. “Don’t you do anything for the joy of it? The power?”

“I’m not asking for me, I’m asking for my bank account. It gets mad when I neglect it. So, what’s in it for us?” he repeated.

“I have bigger sights than this city. Once it’s taken my lieutenants will run the city in my name, take what they please,” Zoom said.

Mardon snickered. “That sounds great to me, Snart here doesn’t play well with others though. Bailed on me and wouldn’t help me kill the speedster a few months ago, even after I broke him out of prison.”

Snart felt all eyes on him in that moment and made a point not to tense up under the scrutiny. He had no desire to join anyone’s crew, least of all a crazed murderer like Zoom, but he knew the speedster was too powerful to say no to, especially with Barry out of commission to stop him. He also had to make sure he came off as loyal, which Mardon was not helping with. He came up with his play and shrugged casually at Weather Wizard’s remark.

“You owed me, and you had no plan. I don’t follow blindly. Zoom here, well, you’ve already caught the Flash, you’re organized and you have excellent taste in lieutenants, not counting Mardon. The hard part’s done, I’m willing to stick around for the rest of the ride.”

Mardon bristled at the dig but the rest of the rogues seemed to accept Snart’s reply and pledged their own loyalty one by one. 

“You’re all just going to follow this guy?” Barry yelled from his glass prison. “He’s a murderer, a psychopath. He’ll kill you all the second he doesn’t need you anymore, the second you screw up. I’ve seen it.”

Blue lightning filled the room and suddenly Zoom was inside the glass cage with Barry, his hand wrapped around The Flash’s neck.

“You’re here to be watch your city burn, Flash. Silently,” Zoom hissed, his fingers closing tighter around Barry’s neck until his face was as red as his suit.

Snart took it all in. Making a note that if Zoom could enter Barry’s cage but not vice versa then that was bad for all of them. It meant Zoom really was more powerful than Barry and they were going to have a hell of a time taking him down.

They …? Snart reprimanded himself. Was he actually considering helping the Flash? As Barry’s face started to turn blue from oxygen deprivation he had to admit he was considering it. His fingers were even wrapped around the handle of his cold gun when Zoom finally finished his display of power and dropped a nearly unconscious Barry to the ground before speeding back out of the cage.

“Questions?” Zoom asked.

“When do we start?” Mardon smirked.

“Now,” Zoom said and motioned towards the cage. “Watch him. He escapes, you all die. Slowly.”

And then Zoom was gone as quickly as he had arrived leaving six confused villains and a trapped Flash in his wake.

“It’d be so easy to kill him,” Mardon mused, stepping closer to the glass and forming a storm in his hand. Snart’s fingers around his wrist pulled him back.

“You kill him, Zoom kills us. Pay attention and keep yourself in check before you get us all killed. Most importantly, me.”

“None of you have to do this. You’re powerful, you don’t have to listen to Zoom, that guy is a death sentence waiting to happen. You all have to get away from him. Let me out of here, let me stop him,” Barry pleaded.

“What’s wrong? Don’t like your cell?” Bivolo taunted. “Get used to it.”

“I’m sorry I locked you up, I couldn’t let you hu…”

“Shut it Flash,” Snart interrupted. “You’re not winning over anyone here. Be smart and be quiet like Zoom said.”

Barry looked like he wanted to say more but when he saw the warning look in Snart’s eyes he shut his mouth and, dear god, did Barry actually still trust him? That boy really was hopeless.

“As for the rest of us,” Snart continued, “we’ll keep watch in 8 hours shifts. Baez, Monteleone, you’re first shift, then Mardon and Bivolo, then me and Nimbus.”

“Zoom didn’t say to watch him in shifts,” Mardon pointed out. 

“This place isn’t exactly the Ritz, I can’t imagine he expected us all to stay here 24 hours a day. The man’s got a long term plan, there’s no other way to do it. Why do you think there’s so many of us?”

“Who the hell put you in charge?” Tar Pit asked.

“Zoom did.”

“I didn’t hear him,” Mardon said.

“He didn’t need to say it. You’re all metas, you’re here to fight The Flash if he escapes. I’m a criminal. I plan perfect crimes down to the last second. The only reason Zoom would have picked me for this little band of misfits is to keep you all in line and make sure Flash never gets out of that cage. So you can listen to me, or you can take it up with Zoom. Either way, I’ll see you in 16 hours. He better still be in that cage, and he better still be alive.”

Mardon clenched his jaw in annoyance but had no counterpoint to make. Snart took the group’s silence as acceptance of his plan and tilted his head with a pleased smirk as he made his way towards the door. Before he left he made the mistake of sending a final glance Barry’s way and saw the speedster watching him again, his eyes shining with hope that Snart would get him out of this. Then Snart did something he would regret for the rest of his life. He gave Barry one brief nod, and then he walked out the door, aware that his fate was officially sealed.

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~

Star Labs still had laughable security and the scientists who worked there still had no sense of self-preservation. When Snart walked in they were all arguing, apparently aware of Barry’s predicament but having no way of helping or finding him. No one even noticed Snart was there until he cleared his throat loudly, gaining the attention of Caitlin, Cisco and Wells. 

“I need something that can stop Zoom, and I need it now.”

TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snart to the rescue!

Twelve hours later Snart was walking back in to Zoom’s warehouse and he couldn’t believe that he had been unable to talk himself out of doing this in all that time. In fact he had spent the better part of an hour convincing the crew at Star Labs that he hadn’t been involved in Barry’s capture and was genuinely trying to get him out of there. 

Entering through a side entrance Snart crept silently to plant Cisco’s devices on the far side of the warehouse. If the rogues had stuck to the schedule he had set up then Bivolo and Mardon were on watch and thankfully neither one were known for their observation skills. 

After he set the charges he felt the pocket of his jacket for his second weapon. Assured it was there he strode into the smaller room that housed the Flash, still in his glass cage, and found Mardon and Bivolo playing poker at a table they had set up. And people said he was cliché.

“Well, what a shining beacon of competence you two turned out to be,” Snart said as he walked inside, then inclined his head in Barry’s direction. “Flash.”

“Snart,” Barry spat out, sitting dejectedly in his cage. Good, thought Snart, he’s finally learning not to show his hand. That or he thought Cold really wasn’t here to help him. Either way, Snart was mildly proud.

“What’s your problem, Cold, he’s still in there,” Mardon pointed out, throwing his cards down angrily.

“By some grace of god, yes, he is. Have you two even checked the rest of this place? The exits, the hiding spots, the windows? I just walked right in.”

“We’re here to watch The Flash,” Bivolo said, then pointed at the cage. “Flash is right there. What the hell are you doing here? Your shift’s not for two hours.”

Snart was early because he needed to get this done before Nimbus showed up for his shift; he had no idea if Mist would freeze properly.

“I came to check this place out for any security flaws. I thought one of you might spot me walking around and do something stupid, but I guess I shouldn’t have worried. You weren’t going to spot anything from in here, engrossed as you were.”

“Who cares about security?” Mardon said. “If Flash gets out of that cage, security cameras and alarms aren’t going to stop him, or help us catch him again.”

“I’m not concerned with The Flash getting out, I’m worried about his little friends getting in,” Snart said then rolled his eyes at the confused looks on Mardon and Bivolo’s faces. “His friends? The scientists at Star Labs who locked you up? The detectives at the police precinct who help Flash out? Who do you think he’s always talking to when he fights us? Himself? He’s got a headset in that cowl and an entire team helping him. So if any of them show up to bust him out, I’d personally like some warning. All of our necks are on the line with Zoom if anything happens.”

“I think we can handle some scientists if they try to break in here,” Mardon said, but his cocksure confidence was noticeably lower as he scoffed.

“He’s got other friends. Meta-human friends,” Snart added.

Bivolo nodded at this and started to look concerned. “He’s right. Last time I fought Flash that Arrow guy from Starling was with him. He’s got another buddy too, that guy who lights on fire and flies.”

Mardon tilted his head when he noticed Barry looking decidedly upset by the conversation.

“What’s wrong Flash, don’t want us prepared for your little friends?” Mardon teased.

“There’s no one coming for me,” Barry said and sounded so dejected Snart couldn’t tell if he was acting.

“Sure there isn’t,” Mardon said, fully convinced now. “Fine Snart, go do your thing, but you’re still taking your shift at watch.”

Snart put his hands in his pockets and felt the comforting pressure of his two hidden devices.

“Of course. Fair’s fair.” 

He thumbed the trigger of the first device and two explosions rocked the warehouse.

“Shit, they’re here,” Mardon said, bringing lightning to his fingertips in preparation for a fight. Snart unholstered his cold gun as though doing the same, but allowed Mardon and Bivolo to run out of the room ahead of him. As soon as their backs were to him he pulled a second gun out of his pocket and shot them both, watching with smug satisfaction as they crumpled to the ground.

“That was almost too easy,” he said, strolling casually over to Barry’s cell.

“Wh … what the hell’s going on?” Barry yelled, standing with his hands against the glass.

“Don’t worry, it’s a tranquilizer gun,” Snart said, holding up the small weapon to show Barry. “I know you get huffy when I kill people.”

“You’re helping me?” Barry asked incredulously.

Snart shrugged. “My options were help you or work for Zoom, and I don’t work for anybody, so here we are.”

But Barry was smiling widely now. “Or you could have just left. You gave yourself 16 hours before any of these guys were going to miss you. I thought you were long gone. Instead you came back for me. When will you just admit that there’s some good in you?”

“We’re not having this conversation again, Barry. I’m no hero, and I’ll prove it by leaving you in there if I have to,” Snart threatened.

“Yeah, I’m sure you went through all this trouble just to leave me here.”

But Snart grew cold and walked closer to the glass. “I’m serious. I’m taking a huge risk here. Zoom can kill me so fast I literally won’t see it coming so before I get you out of there, you have to tell me, honestly, can you stop Zoom?”

“I don’t know,” Barry said, knowing he should lie but not having it in him as his mind flashed through the half dozen times Zoom had beaten him. “He’s faster than me, stronger than me. With my team’s help I think I can … with your help I know I can.”

Snart grumbled unhappily. “Not the answer I was looking for, kid.” He held his cold gun on his shoulder and started pacing as though considering his options. Barry swallowed nervously and hoped his faith in Cold wasn’t misplaced.

“But it’ll have to do,” Snart said with a sigh, then charged up his gun. “All right, let’s get out of here.”

“Great but um … do you know what you’re doing?” Barry asked, suddenly concerned now that the cold gun was pointed straight at him.

“Ramon says even if you can’t phase through that material it should still crack at absolute zero. I have to freeze the entire thing to make it lose structural integrity though so … it’s gonna get cold in there.”

“You talked to Cisco?”

“I needed some tech for the break-out. Ramon works fast,” Snart said. Barry shifted uncomfortably and started to open his mouth to ask a question but didn’t want to push his luck. Thankfully Cold could read him like a book. “I didn’t kidnap him again, Barry, he was … happy to help.”

“I somehow doubt that but we can talk about it later, let’s do this,” Barry said, eager to get out of the prison that had been holding him for almost a day. The first thing he was going to do was stop at Big Belly Burger. He was so hungry he didn’t know if he’d be able to run more than a few blocks at super speed. 

“Stand in the center,” Snart said. Barry obliged, watching as Snart lowered his goggles then took aim at the left side of his prison and fired. The temperature in the cage instantly dropped below freezing. Barry shivered but didn’t complain, knowing he wouldn’t have to withstand it for long. Snart only spent a few seconds icing each side of the cage, making sure the top froze over as well. He was just moving to freeze the last side when blue lightning flashed through the doorway and Barry felt his heart stop. 

“Snart!”

It happened so fast Snart had no way of responding, or knowing what was going on, but Barry saw it all happen as though in slow motion. Zoom raced into the room, snatched the cold gun from Snart’s hands, then threw Snart against the glass of Barry’s cage. In the same instant Zoom punched Snart across the face with enough force that he shattered his goggles, then he hit him again and again, kicking him as he fell to the ground. 

“No! Zoom stop! Please, you’ll kill him! Stop!” Barry shouted, pounding on the glass of his cage, desperate to get Zoom’s attention off of Snart. 

Zoom slowed down to regular speed and watched Snart crumple to the floor gasping for breath. 

“He’s down, you don’t have to …” Before Barry could finish his plea Zoom picked Snart up by the neck and slammed him against the non-iced wall of the cage. Even on the other side of the glass Barry could feel the walls shudder with the impact and knew Snart had to have felt that in his bones. 

“You disappoint me, Snart,” Zoom hissed, ignoring Barry’s shouts as he dug his fingers deep into Snart’s throat. “I thought you were smart, you could have been my greatest lieutenant.”

Leonard really wanted to tell this guy to go shove it, but his body was pulsing with pain and his lungs had no oxygen so he settled for trying to scrape Zoom’s fingers off his neck, which just caused Zoom to squeeze tighter.

“Zoom, stop, please,” Barry begged again, still beating on the glass and standing behind Snart where Zoom had to see him. “Please don’t kill him. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, I’ll give you my speed, whatever it is, just don’t kill him.”

Zoom chuckled and loosened his grip just enough for Snart to take in a quick breath and warn, “Don’t make deals with the devil, kid.”

“I can’t just stand here and watch him kill you,” Barry said, not mentioning that he couldn’t live with himself if Snart died trying to save him. “Whatever you need from me Zoom, it’s yours, just let him go.”

Zoom laughed again and snapped his wrist, sending Snart flying across the room. He landed on the concrete with a hard thud and laid there gasping. He tried to move but very few of his muscles felt like cooperating and a whole lot of his bones felt broken, causing him to curse Zoom and his own stupidity for getting involved in any of this.

Barry sighed in relief when he saw Snart was still alive then turned all his attention to Zoom who was staring at him through the glass, his head turned at an amused angle.

“So weak that you would give up everything for this criminal scum. Pathetic, Flash. Anything I need from you, I will take. You have nothing to offer me, so now you can watch your saviour die. Slowly.”

“You don’t have to kill him! I didn’t escape. I’ll stay, I won’t try to run just let him …”

Zoom gasped and jolted forward, shocking Barry into speechlessness. Then he watched in confusion as Zoom shuddered five more times. The black speedster finally fell to his knees and Barry saw six tranquilizer darts sticking out of his back.

“I told you Barry, no deals with the devil,” Snart said, dropping his spent tranquilizer gun on the ground. It didn’t fall far, Snart was still on his back, struggling to stand. Barry turned his attention back to Zoom and felt his chest tighten even more, the speedster had fallen but he was still conscious.

“Snart, get out of here!” Barry yelled, trying to push the crook towards the door faster, but Leonard wasn’t headed towards the door. Finally making it to his feet, he stumbled towards his cold gun, going far too slow for Barry’s taste. “Cold, he’s still conscious, you gotta move!”

Snart took Barry’s word for it and didn’t look back as he pushed his decimated body to limp faster across the warehouse floor. Behind him he heard Barry pounding on the glass of his cage. “Snart, he’s up! Move!”

The gun was almost in reach, the charge still beating strong, but not as strong as the footsteps coming up behind him. Snart’s ribs felt like they were about to collapse, so he let them and fell to the ground, wrapping his hands around the barrel of the cold gun and firing blindly as he rolled onto his back. His aim paid off and he hit Zoom square in the chest just inches before the speedster reached him. Zoom slid back across the floor but Snart knew that unlike himself and his broken bones, Zoom would be getting back up again shortly. He only had one chance. He pointed right and fired, frosting over the last wall of Barry’s cage. The result was impressive. As soon as the last inch was covered in ice the entire structure exploded, throwing glass and ice in all directions.

“No!” Zoom shouted, getting back on his feet, shrugging off Snart’s ice blast as quickly as he had the sedative.

Barry raced out of his prison, punching Zoom once across the face at superspeed, then he zipped over to Snart, picked him up and sped him out of the building. A few seconds later they came to a stop in the dark corner of an alley, having crossed the entire city with no sign of blue lightning in their wake.

As Barry lowered Snart to the ground they were both winded, Barry from running at superspeed and Snart from the pain wracking his body every time he moved or was moved.

“What are you doing?” Snart demanded tightly, talking through a clenched jaw. “Get back there and finish Zoom off!”

But Barry shook his head, clutching at his chest as he gasped for breath. “He’s too strong … he was recovering too fast. I haven’t eaten for over a day … I could barely run us out of there.”

“Great,” Snart growled and threw his head back in annoyance but the movement made his whole body tense with pain. 

“God he really did a number on you,” Barry said, kneeling down to look Snart over. His face was peppered in cuts from his shattered goggles, his left cheek bone was already starting to swell and there were red lines down his neck from where Zoom had choked him, and those were just the injuries Barry could see.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be just fine here in this random alley where Zoom could find us any second. What the hell are we doing here?” 

“I don’t … really know where we can go,” Barry said. “Zoom’s going to be looking for me and he knows who I am. We can’t go to Star Labs, or Joe’s or the police precinct … oh god, if Zoom looks for me there he’ll just catch the team!”

“Don’t worry Scarlet, your little friends are smart and figured the same thing. They’ve all been in hiding since I left to bust you out.”

“Really? Where are they?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. Told them I’d call if the coast ended up being clear.”

“That’s something, but it doesn’t help us figure out where to go. The Arrow would hide us but there’s no way I could make it to Star City like this, and I’m worried you couldn’t either.”

“I’m fine,” Snart said, but his tough front was shattered when he tried to shift into a different position and nearly toppled over from pain. 

“You need a doctor,” Barry said, bracing Snart’s shoulder to keep him upright.

“Apparently what I need is to save your ass … again. Zoom grabbed me from my safe house but I’ve got another one. Haven’t used it for over a year, it should be safe.”

“Fine. I hope it’s got some medical supplies … and food. Where is it?”

“65 Mercer Street.”

“All right, let’s do this.” Barry took a deep breath in preparation to sprint through the city then bent down to pick Snart up.

“God this is humiliating. Would it kill you to just call me a cab?”

“With Zoom on our trail, and angry, it just might. Hold on!” Barry said in warning. Snart didn’t hold on to Barry but he did clutch his cold gun tighter as Barry took off through the city, stopping in front of 65 Mercer Street, which was not what he expected.

“Um … it’s quaint,” Barry said looking over the small dilapidated house that had to have been condemned at some point in the last fifty years.

“This isn’t it … put me down!” Snart demanded, refusing to say anything else until his feet were on the ground. Barry lowered him down gently but kept one of Snart’s arms over his shoulders, knowing the villain was too injured to stand on his own. “It’s a block that away, we have to walk from here. The security system activates if anything going over the speed of sound gets too close.”

Barry started moving in the direction Snart pointed, thankful it was dark and late so they didn’t draw too much attention. 

“Do I even want to know what you programmed your security system to do to me if I came near your house?”

“You do not, especially when we’ve been getting along so well,” Snart said. Barry wanted to say something snarky in reply but Cold was panting with the exertion of walking with his injuries and Barry couldn’t bring himself to harass the guy after he had just gotten a beating while saving his life.

“This is it.” Snart stopped them at what looked like a two-storey warehouse and pointed at a beat up looking fuse-box cover. Barry cracked it open and found a state of the art palm print reader inside. Snart put his hand on the device and grimaced, making Barry realize he may have broken some fingers when Zoom pulled the cold gun out of his hands at super speed. The door beeped and swung open. Barry was tempted to speed Snart inside but was wary of the alarm system so helped him in at regular speed. The door closed behind them with a beep. In the dim light Barry saw what looked like a standard warehouse, filled with boxes, conveyor belts and fork lifts. 

“You stay here?” Barry asked incredulously.

“Not exactly.” Snart hit a button and what had looked like a concrete wall opened to reveal an elevator. They filed inside and went up a single floor, the doors opening to reveal a modern looking apartment with a full kitchen and living room leading to a hall with several more doors. Barry sighed in relief that the place seemed to have everything they’d need, except windows, but that was fine by him. It meant Zoom had little chance of finding them.

“Where’s your bedroom?” Barry asked, steering Snart down the hallway and seeing all the doors were shut.

“How very forward of you, Barry.” 

“Snart,” he grumbled.

“This one,” Snart said, leading them to the right. The room was spacious with a king-size bed, side chairs, a TV, dresser and ensuite bathroom. Barry wondered if the whole place was furnished but decided to take a full tour later, right now he needed to make sure Snart was all right. He rearranged the pillows with one hand then lowered Snart onto the bed. 

“Thanks,” Snart said, then met Barry’s gaze. “Now get the hell out of here and forget you ever saw this place.”

“You can’t be serious. Zoom’s going to be looking for you and you can barely move! I’m not leaving you here alone!” Barry exclaimed.

“And I’m not letting my nemesis play nursemaid or hideout in my safe house, so get out. I’ll be fine.”

“Your nemesis?” Barry scoffed. “Yeah, I’ll believe that when you stop saving my life.”

“I may have gone temporarily insane this evening, but I assure you Zoom knocked some sense back into me. This is never happening again.”

“But it happened once, whether you like it or not. Also, I’ve had my ass kicked by Zoom in the past. It sucks and you don’t heal like I do, so let me help you out. I owe you.”

“Fine,” Snart huffed, falling back on his pillow in defeat. “Go get me some aspirin then show yourself out.”

“Sure,” Barry said, having no intention of leaving but enjoying the invitation to stay longer. He almost zipped out of the room then stopped himself. “If I speed through here will the security system go off?”

Snart raised an eyebrow, “What do you think?”

“How do I turn it off?”

“A psychopathic speedster is looking for us. You don’t. You’ll have to move at a normal speed like the rest of us.”

Barry sighed. Regular speed sucked. It took Barry a few minutes to gather everything he needed. A second bathroom down the hall had an entire cabinet of medical supplies and Barry went through them all methodically, grabbing painkillers, ACE bandages, gauze and tape then moving to the kitchen where he found some icepacks in the freezer. 

A cry from the bedroom almost had him speeding back in, but he remembered to run at a normal speed and entered to see Snart sitting on the edge of the bed trembling in pain from the simple act of removing his parka. 

Barry threw the medical supplies on the bed. “Would it kill you to just ask for help?”

“Maybe. I’ve never tried it. Wouldn’t want to risk it,” Snart replied tightly, breathing heavily through the pain. He started to turn and reach for the aspirin but Barry’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Don’t move. Here.”

Barry shook out two aspirin and dropped them in Snart’s hand.

“Are you sure you don’t want something stronger? I saw Tylenol 3’s in there.”

“I’m sure,” Snart said and made a show of dry swallowing the aspirin in response to Barry’s question, neglecting to mention that he didn’t want to risk getting too drugged up when a psychotic speedster could attack them again at any moment.

“Delicious,” Snart said and started to shuffle back on the bed.

“Don’t lay down yet, we need to get your shirt off.” Snart glared at this and Barry threw up his arms in exasperation. “Your ribs are broken and need to be wrapped and I have to check for signs of internal bleeding, because if you have those you need to go to a hospital. So would you drop the too cool to be human thing and just let me help you?”

Instead of arguing viciously Snart just shook his head, seemingly exhausted. “Why do you care, Barry?”

“Because I’d be a pretty shit hero if I let the guy who saved my life die because he was being stubborn. Now, can we get this shirt off?”

Snart sighed but didn’t look up.

“I can’t lift my arms,” he said finally, and it might have been the most difficult sentence to ever leave his mouth.

“Thankfully, I’ve got scissors,” Barry said, brandishing the tools triumphantly. Snart rolled his eyes but leaned back in invitation.

“Fine.”

Barry made quick and cautious work of Snart’s long-sleeve black shirt and tried not to grimace as he threw it away. Zoom hadn’t been holding back. Snart’s chest was covered in huge brown and green bruises on his abs and around his ribs. His back had a few from landing on the concrete too but they weren’t as bad. And they were all there because Barry had been dumb enough to get nabbed by Zoom. At least he was only responsible for the new damage. The amount of old scars covering Snart’s torso was, well, impressive was the wrong word to use. Barry decided on considerable instead and remembered Lisa showing the Flash team her scar that she got from “being a daughter”. 

“If you’re just going to stare there’s no reason for you to be here, Flash,” Snart said, breaking Barry out of his thoughts. He looked at the ground sheepishly. 

“Sorry I’m … uh … not quite sure what I’m doing,” he stuttered, not wanting to admit to staring at Captain Cold’s body. 

Snart sighed. “Wrap my ribs first. I’ll check for internal bleeding when you’re done, then we’ll go over how to treat my concussion. It’ll be a blast.”

Barry stared again, this time out of awe that Snart had medical training but Snart just rolled his eyes and gestured towards his own scars.

“You think I got all these without learning some first-aid?”

Barry bit his lip. “I guess not. All right, wraps first.”

It took a gruellingly long time to take care of all of Snart’s injuries. After wrapping his ribs, they found no darkened areas that looked like internal bleeding was a concern, so they moved on to bandaging up Snart’s cuts and icing down all the places he was swelling up. Snart had started coughing around the time Barry had started wrapping his ribs and it made Barry cringe every time. 

“Maybe we should get you to a hospital after all,” Barry suggested at end of another coughing fit. “You don’t sound good, you could have a punctured lung or something.”

“My lungs are fine, my throat’s just swelling up.” Snart said, leaning back as he tried to tamper down another cough. Barry glanced down at the bruises darkening on Snart’s neck and felt guilt harden in his stomach again as he remembered Zoom’s fingers around the criminal’s throat. “Give me an icepack.”

Barry stood up to get one off the table but he took one step and nearly toppled to the ground, only barely managing to brace himself against the wall and keep from falling.

“What’s wrong with you?” Snart asked.

“I uh … I just got dizzy. I still haven’t eaten anything. It’s fine.”

“That’s my line, kid,” Snart said, looking Barry over with a critical eye. “Now give me that icepack and get some food if it’ll get you moving. Kitchen’s stocked up.”

“Yeah,” Barry said, too lightheaded to form much else of a sentence. He handed Snart the icepack and they figured out a way to rest it against his neck without making it even harder to breathe.

“Perfect,” he said, eyes closing in relief even as another cough bubbled out of his throat. 

“All right I’m making food then if you’re good. You want anything?”

“All I want is you gone when I wake up.”

“Sure, Snart, whatever you say. Your nemesis will just make himself a snack in your kitchen and then get out of your hair,” Barry said, laughing at the look of disgust on Snart’s face to have his threats met with friendly banter. But Snart was too exhausted to engage in further conversation. He let it go with a grumble and made a show of closing his eyes.

Barry made his way to the kitchen and scoured the cupboards. The place was dusty, fitting Snart’s claim that he hadn’t been there in some time, but thankfully all the food was non-perishable. Before he could even consider what he could put together for a meal Barry wolfed down three boxes of protein bars, sighing with relief at the instant gratification that hit his stomach and energy levels. Turning on the stove he threw in two frozen pizzas and started bowling a box of spaghetti. While everything heated up he finally took the time to wander around Snart’s safehouse. 

There really wasn’t much to see in the end. Snart clearly didn’t stay there much as there were no personal items in any of the rooms. Even the bathroom just had the most basic of toiletries, though he did find a spare bedroom with some clothes in the drawers that he procured for himself, having already spent over a day in his Flash suit. The leather was not only starting to smell, but Barry was chafing in places he didn’t want to mention. He showered quickly, changed into his pilfered clothes and then scarfed down his pizza and spaghetti along with four Gatorades. Finally sated, he realized he didn’t know what to do with himself. If his friends were all safe like Snart said (and he probably should have asked some follow up questions about that – geez, he really was starting to trust Snart too much) then Barry didn’t have to rush out to rescue anyone, he just needed to lay low and get his strength back.

A cough from the next room reminded him that he also had to make sure the guy who had saved his life didn’t die because of him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, unsure what to make of this new development. He had believed for some time that there was good in Leonard Snart, but he had secretly thought of it as a selfish kind of good – he’d protect his sister because he loved her, or he’d refrain from hurting civilians because it meant his sentence was more lenient if he was caught, but he had never expected this from Snart. Not for him to risk everything to save him. Snart had turned against not just Zoom, but the rest of the rogues to pull this off. Barry wasn’t naïve enough to think that it wasn’t for at least semi-selfish reasons. Snart hadn’t been lying when he said he didn’t want to work in Central City under Zoom but there were a lot of ways he could have taken out the speedster, especially since he was the man with the cold gun and the best plans, making him the most qualified to stop any new speedster in town. Which meant he didn’t really need Barry free to stop Zoom, he had just wanted to save him.

Barry smiled to himself, proud he was right about Snart, but frowned when another cough came from the bedroom. Making his way down the hall, he peaked his head into Snart’s room. The thief was still asleep but his coughing was getting more frequent. The aspirin was supposed to bring down the swelling but if that didn’t work then Barry knew Snart’s throat could close up on him while he slept, and since Barry didn’t know how to perform a tracheotomy, that could be very bad. 

He realized he knew exactly what he had to do with himself. Moving quietly across the room he took a seat in the chair by Snart’s bed, thankful it was silent and comfortable. Spotting a remote for the TV Barry switched it on, careful to leave it on mute. Then he steeled himself to keep a silent vigil to make sure his nemesis didn’t suffocate in his sleep after saving Barry’s life from a psychotic speedster from another dimension.

Barry sighed at how complicated his life was, and how long a night it was going to be.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all enjoying. Thanks to all those who left kudos and comments (and apologies to anyone who was hoping for more Barry whump, I'm a Len whumper mostly, sorry!) A little more h/c and then we'll wrap things up I think.


	3. A Heated Argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeing set pics of Wentworth on the LoT set got me back in the writing mood and I took a shot at closing this one out. It turned out ridiculously fun, at least I think so. And lots of whump as well. Hope you enjoy!

“You son of a bitch!”

Barry jolted awake with no idea what was happening. He saw was Snart, still out cold (hehe) on the bed, bruised and swollen to hell but not currently yelling at him. Barry turned his head and stiffened. Mick Rory was standing in the doorway, his heat gun aimed at Barry’s head.

“Wha …?” Barry started to lift his arms in a placating gesture but abandoned it to run for his life as Mick pulled the trigger and a torrent of flame shot towards him. “Jesus!”

Barry’s only path of escape was to launch himself over Snart’s bed, coming to a halt on the other side of the room just as the chair he’d been sitting in was engulfed in flames.

“Are you crazy!?!” Barry demanded.

“Yes! And you’re a dead man!” Mick roared, taking aim again.

Before Mick could pull the trigger Barry sped forward, tore the gun from his grasp, and tossed it into the hallway with a clang.

“Now just calm down,” Barry said.

“Fine, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.” 

Barry easily avoided Mick’s lunge for his throat, but then they both froze at the sound of a hacking cough across the room.

“What the …?” Leonard was awake. And confused. And his bed was on fire.

“Shit!” Barry yelled. He ran to the bed, picked Snart up and rushed him into the living room, depositing him on the couch and cringing as Snart cried out in pain from the movement. “Sorry!”

“What …?” Snart tried to ask again but his cough returned, now with an added wheeze that had Barry worried.

“Flash!” Mick shouted, rushing out from the bedroom, heat gun back in his hand. Barry sighed. This couldn’t get much worse.

All three of them froze at the sound of metallic panels moving above them followed by the hum of Snart’s cold gun charging. Barry’s brow furrowed. Len’s gun was on the counter in the kitchen. Mick looked equally confused, but Leonard knew what was up.

“Security!” he shouted in warning amidst another coughing fit.

Barry’s eyes went wide. He had used his super speed inside the safehouse. Snart’s safety precautions. Oh shit.

No sooner had the thought crossed Barry’s mind than a mounted cold gun dropped from the ceiling and fired. Barry managed to avoid the beam and bolted into the bathroom, changing back into his Flash costume. It provided extra protection but seemed to set off more alarms as another gun dropped from the ceiling in the hallway.

“Snart! How do I turn this off?” Barry yelled. He avoided several blasts from the guns but each time they passed by he could feel himself slow down just a little more. Pretty soon he’d be hit.

“You don’t Flash! You die!” Mick said. That was not the answer Barry was looking for. Barry ran back into the living room to see Snart hadn’t answered because he was still having trouble breathing. 

“Any time now!” Barry said, just barely avoiding another shot that iced the kitchen counter instead.

Snart met his eye and nodded then took in a huge breath and forced his lungs to work. “Deactivate!”

The word left his mouth just as the last blast of cold targeted Barry and this one found its mark, colliding with the speedster’s shoulder and knocking him down with a hiss.

As Barry lay on the ground gasping in pain, he could hear the whir of the cold guns shutting down and moving back into the ceiling. He looked at his shoulder. It was iced over but the suit had protected him from the worst of it. 

“Got you now.”

Unfortunately it wouldn’t protect him from the heat gun pointed directly at his head by Mick Rory.

“Wait …” Barry started but he was interrupted when Snart tried to get off the couch and stand between the two of them. He didn’t make it far, instead landing on his knees a few feet away. 

“Mick … stop!” he managed to ground out between coughs.

“This bastard tried to kill you!” Mick said, not dropping his gun or his gaze.

“What!” Barry exclaimed. “No, I didn’t. You just did though!”

Mick growled at the accusation and upped the charge on his gun. “Len disappeared from our safehouse yesterday in a flash of lightning. Then I find him here with you with the crap beat out of him. So tell me again how you didn’t do anything.”

“I didn’t! There’s another speedster, his name is Zoom, he’s bad news. He did that to Len, not me. I was helping him. I mean, come on, is this seriously my MO? Kidnapping and beating people up?”

“Pipeline prison,” Mick reminded him.

Barry sighed. “That was just for metahumans and I didn’t beat the crap out of them! Len, tell him!”

They both turned to Snart but he was still on his knees, trying to breathe. He clearly couldn’t speak but offered a general nod and thumbs up in Barry’s direction. 

“See?”

“Hmmm, fine. For now,” Mick said, finally holstering his gun.

With that resolved Barry turned his attention back to Snart, wondering why he still couldn’t breathe. Then he realized the room was filling with smoke.

“The bedroom’s still on fire!” Barry shouted.

“Oh yeah,” Mick said, turning casually towards the hallway. Snart rolled his eyes and seemed to be in more pain from not being able to speak than he was from coughing.

“Well go put it out! I’ll make sure Snart’s okay.”

Mick growled and raised his gun again. Barry held up his hands in surrender. “Or we can switch.”

“Good idea,” Mick said, moving towards his partner.

Barry thought over his options. He could suck the air out of the room to kill the fire but it would still smoulder for quite awhile, which was something none of them needed while trying to keep a low profile. He spotted Snart’s gun on the counter and picked it up with a smirk. He’d always wanted to try this.

When he got to the bedroom the bed was completely aflame along with most of the floor and the beginnings of the wall. He cringed at the destruction but wasted no time pointing the cold gun and firing.

“You’re gonna have to cool it,” Barry said aloud, chuckling to himself as the bed and floor quickly became encased in ice. Moving the beam up to the wall he smiled at how smoothly the gun worked, how easily he could completely destroy all traces of the fire and replace it with ice. He finished up and blew on the end of the gun dramatically. Damn, he thought, I think I know why Snart likes this thing so much. Did I make a cold pun a second ago? Oh god.

His thoughts were interrupted by a crash from the living room followed by Mick’s voice.

“Get out here punk!”

Barry flashed out to the living room. “I’ll assume that’s me.”

“Of course it’s you! What did you do to Snart? He’s not getting better!”

Even across the room Barry could see that Mick was right. Len was sitting on the floor, his back propped up against the couch and his head tilted back to open his airway as much as possible, but he was still clearly struggling to draw in enough air. As Barry knelt down with them he could see the bruises on Snart’s neck had darkened and swelled while he slept. He also saw Len’s hand digging into the arm of Mick’s jacket like a lifeline.

“His throat’s closing up, he can’t get enough air. Just keep breathing, Snart, you’re gonna be fine,” Barry said.

“He was breathing fine when I got here,” Mick said.

“Your body uses half the oxygen when you’re asleep,” Barry said. “Now he’s awake and full of adrenaline and smoke and his body can’t get him enough air to process it all.”

“He’s gonna suffocate?!” Mick exclaimed, his panic matched by Snart’s wide eyes at the announcement.

“No, no of course not,” Barry said, shaking his head confidently. “He’ll just pass out from lack of oxygen, then while he’s unconscious his oxygen levels will even out and he’ll be fine. At least I’m pretty sure. Unless his throat gets worse. Of course, he’ll probably wake up again shortly after he passes out and we’ll just start this whole process over …”

Barry’s rant was interrupted when Len’s free hand grabbed him by the shirt collar and dragged him forward. Len couldn’t speak but his eyes spoke of a not too distant murder if Barry didn’t shut up and do something helpful.

“Okay, okay, I … I need a phone.”

“I got a burner,” Mick said, fishing a cell out of his pocket.

“Great,” Barry said, thankful he took the time to memorize his friends’ numbers. 

“Just keep breathing, Boss. I can knock you out if it’d help,” Mick offered. Snart’s glare was a pretty clear no, but then his breath caught and he was hit with another coughing fit that left him bent at the waist, wheezing and turning red.

“Please pick up, please pick up,” Barry said into the phone as it rang, hating feeling helpless while Snart essentially suffocated. “Come on!”

“Hello?”

“Caitlin!”

“Barry! Oh my god, are you safe?”

“I am, yes, but Snart’s in rough shape. He needs your help. Where are you guys?” Barry asked.

“You want to bring Snart here?” 

“He’s gettin’ worse!” Mick shouted. He had a hand on Snart’s shoulder and was guiding him to lay on his side as his eyes started to drift shut.

“I’m working on it!” Barry said. “Caitlin, I know just … please?”

“We’re … we’re at Star Labs, under the pipeline where Thawne was holding Eddie,” she said.

“All right, I’ll be there in a few seconds. Get ready for a patient,” Barry said then hung up and handed the phone back to Mick. “I know where to take him.”

Barry knelt down and made a move to pick Snart up but was stopped by Mick’s hand on his wrist.

“You think I’m just gonna let you whisk him out of here again? I got a car downstairs.”

“I told you, that was Zoom, not me. And we don’t have time for this. He could be dying. My friend’s a doctor, Caitlyn Snow, remember her? She can help him.”

Mick didn’t look convinced but Snart’s breathing was getting more laboured by the second. Barry made a decision and shook his head. 

“I’m sorry.” He phased his wrist out of Mick’s grip, picked Snart up and sped him out of the safehouse before Mick could even move. 

“Son of a bitch!” Mick yelled to the air, but Barry was long gone.

He raced to Star Labs, taking as roundabout a route as he could come up with in case Zoom was still looking for him. Travelling through the city was risky but he couldn’t let Snart die. And the fact that the criminal was making no qualms about being carried again spoke to how dire the situation truly was. 

A few seconds later he and Snart were down under the pipeline, surrounded by Iris, Joe, Wells, Jesse, Cisco and Caitlyn. 

“Barry, thank god!” Iris said in relief. They all look overjoyed to see him but Barry put a stop to the group’s reunion.

“I’m fine but Snart needs help,” Barry said, his words accentuated by the sound of Snart’s labored breathing. 

“Put him over here,” Caitlyn said, pointing at a cot near the back wall. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Zoom nearly choked him to death. That was a few hours ago, his throat closed up while he slept,” Barry said. After laying Snart down he tried to turn back to Caitlyn but was stopped by the death grip Snart had on his arm. Barry looked down to see Snart was alert and looking around his new surroundings with confused panic. “It’s okay, you’re okay Snart. You’re at Star Labs, Caitlyn’s gonna fix you up, all right?”

Caitlyn appeared at Snart’s other side with a pen light as though summoned by Barry’s words. 

“I’m just going to take a look at your passageway, keep breathing as normally as possible,” Caitlyn instructed as she looked down Snart’s throat while gently pressing on his swollen neck. 

“How is he?” Barry asked, leaving a comforting hand on Snart’s shoulder and being careful not to move away.

“His throat’s swelling shut like you said, the coughing will likely irritate it more and make it worse. I’ll try to intubate him. If that doesn’t work he may need a tracheotomy,” she said. 

Snart’s fingers dug into Barry’s arm in a death grip sending a very clear message; no tracheotomy.

“The intubation will probably be fine,” Barry told him, then looked back to Caitlin. “What do you need?”

“Um …” They had no supplies in the pipeline and she took a moment to do a mental tally. “Bring me everything in the cabinet on the far left wall of my lab, heart rate and blood pressure monitor and we’ll need an oxygen tank.”

“No problem, be right back,” Barry said, more to Snart than Caitlin. When Barry turned around he came almost face to face with Joe who wore his most disapproving frown as he looked down at Snart but Barry shook his head. “Not right now, Joe.”

“Later,” Joe promised, but moved out of the way for Barry to go get the supplies. In a blink the table next to the bed was filled with medical instruments and an oxygen tank wobbled in place by the head of the bed. 

“Okay,” Caitlin mumbled as she sorted through the supplies.

“Can I help?” Barry asked.

“Yes, set up the heart rate and blood pressure monitors.”

By the time Caitlin returned to Snart’s side holding several instruments, both monitors were beeping and Barry had moved back to put a hand on Leonard’s shoulder. The rogue barely seemed to notice though, his entire body was tense and his hands gripped the sheets beneath him as he focussed on the ceiling and getting enough oxygen into his lungs, which was getting increasingly more difficult.

“Caitlin, I think he’s turning blue,” Barry said, the worry clearly etched in his tone. 

“I’m coming,” Caitlin said, though she stopped at the monitors to look at the readouts. “Damn.”

“What?” Barry asked, but Snart’s head lolled over as well when he heard Caitlin swear.

“Let me through,” Caitlin said, moving to stand by Leonard’s side in a position where she could meet his eye. “Snart. Leonard, look at me, I know it’s hard to breathe but you have to listen to me. Your oxygen levels are dropping and your throat’s closing up faster than I expected. I can intubate you right now but it’s a very uncomfortable and painful procedure. If I take the time to anaesthetize you then you won’t feel a thing but your throat will likely have closed up too much to intubate and I’ll have to do a tracheotomy instead. So those are your choices. And I hope you understood them because I have to know what you want.”

Snart’s eyes were wide with panic but still alert and sharp. He started to nod in response to her explanation but then broke into another coughing fit that caused him to curl in on himself.

“Easy Snart,” Barry said, but Snart shook his head, taking in as deep a breath as he could.

“Tube. Now,” he gasped out before returning to his coughing fit. 

“I’ll do my best,” Caitlin promised and moved to position at the head of the bed. As she checked her instruments Leonard’s laboured breathing evened out and he laid back down flat so she could work on him.

“You’re doing great Snart,” Barry said, patting his shoulder. Leonard’s glare told him just how much he needed Barry’s encouragement. 

“Okay,” Caitlin said when she was ready, a thin videoscope in one hand and an intubation tube in the other. “Leonard, this is going to hurt but I need you to stay as still as possible or I could knick your vocal cords. Nod if you understand.”

“Oh no, it’d be terrible if Captain Cold couldn’t talk anymore,” Cisco muttered from the back of the room but shut his mouth as basically everyone glared at him. 

Snart didn’t glare, his eyes were getting heavy and his mind drifted as his oxygen levels tanked, but he managed to nod in response to Caitlin’s question. 

“Good. Barry, you still might have to hold him down.”

“Yeah.” Barry put an arm across Snart’s chest and smiled in appreciation as Joe moved to hold down his legs. “Thanks Joe.”

“Restraining Snart is basically the only thing I’m happy to do with him,” Joe replied. 

“All right Leonard, I’ll go as fast as I can but while I’m doing this it will be even harder to breathe so take in as much air as you can and nod when you’re ready,” Caitlin said.

Snart’s chest heaved with quick struggling breaths and then he nodded.

“Okay, open as wide as possible,” Caitlin said then started to feed in the tube with the videoscope close behind it. “All right, your throat’s closed off so the tube is going to scrape. This is where it hurts.”

As if on cue Snart tensed, his fingers digging into the bed and his back arcing as he let out a choked off cry. 

“You’re safe Snart, it’s fine, you’re okay,” Barry assured him as he and Joe held him down. Snart’s eyes were wide from the combination of panic and pain, but Barry was sure he was still aware because even as Snart struggled against the discomfort he never rocked his head or neck to jar Caitlin’s work. Caitlin had to struggle not to flinch when Snart suddenly cried out again.

“Sorry,” Caitlin said, still focussed on the task. “I’m almost done but your throat will be completely closed off for a second. Don’t panic.”

Barry could feel Snart trembling beneath his fingers and knew panic was inevitable at this point so pushed down a little harder on his chest to keep him immobile. His precaution paid off as Snart kicked up reflexively when his airway was completely cut off. 

“Almost done, almost done,” Caitlin promised as Barry and Joe held him down. “Got it!” She extracted the scope, attached the inserted tube to the hose of the oxygen tank and turned it on. Snart took in his first full breath in what felt like a lifetime and instantly stopped struggling. Barry and Joe released their grips and stepped back as Snart visibly deflated from the mixture of relief and exhaustion. Barry breathed out his own sigh of relief and looked to Caitlin.

“Thank you.”

She nodded and busied herself with checking Snart’s vital signs. “It’s my job.”

“And we can finally do this.” Iris’s words were barely out of her mouth before Barry was enveloped in a giant hug. “We’re so glad you’re safe.”

“Me too,” Barry said, his face scrunching up as he released her. “About you guys, I mean. I’m glad you’re all safe. This was a good idea for a hiding spot.”

“It was mine,” Cisco said with fake modesty and also coming in for a quick hug.

Wells came forward, his eyes drifting over to the cot across the room. “Can we assume Mr. Snart actually came through on his promise?”

“I can’t believe you all agreed to work with him without even calling me,” Joe grumbled, glaring at the scientists in the room.

“They did the right thing,” Barry interjected. “Snart came through, one hundred percent. He got me out of there, and he got his ass kicked by Zoom for his trouble. Look at him Joe, Zoom almost killed him.”

“Yeah, it’d be a real shame if that happened,” Cisco muttered.

“He saved my life.”

“And what did he want in return?” Joe asked.

“Nothing,” Barry said, but his confident reply turned into an apologetic half shrug. “Well …”

“What?”

“I mean, he said he didn’t like working for anyone and was only breaking me out so I would stop Zoom and then he would be in charge of the rogues again but ...”

“There it is,” Joe said triumphantly. 

“But it’s not just that! I don’t believe that. He had a lot of better options than this. He could have just left town. I mean, he shot Weather Wizard and Rainbow Raider right in front of me. They’re not gonna work with him again now. I think he actually just wanted to help.”

Joe shook his head. “Barry, sometimes you can be so naïve it physically hurts me.”

“Joe …” 

“No talking!”

They all turned to Caitlin and saw she was speaking to Snart who was trying to form words around the tube in his throat.

“Your throat’s a mess,” Caitlin continued, “and it’s not going to get better if you strain it. So get some rest and I’ll make sure none of these other injuries are going to kill you while you sleep.”

Leonard sighed and lifted his eyebrows imploringly while he motioned for a pen.

“Fine,” Caitlin said. Before she could even turn Barry sped to Snart’s bedside with a pad and pen.

“Here.”

Snart dipped his head in thanks and started writing, his handwriting blocky and stuttering due to his injuries marring his movements. Barry leaned over and read what he wrote. ‘Mick’

“Mick? Oh. Sure, I’ll call him and let him know you’re all right,” Barry said, but Snart grabbed his arm before he could walk away to make the call. “What?”

“Make sure he stays there. If Zoom’s after me then he’s also after Mick,” Snart wrote.

“Uh huh. And how exactly do you suggest I do that? He’s not gonna believe you’re fine if he can’t talk to you.”

Snart thought it over then wrote, “Tell him I said he can have the entire haul from the Berlanti job if he stays put.”

“The Berlanti job? That was you? There was $75,000 in diamonds … you know what never mind. I’ll worry about arresting you when Zoom’s stopped. Get some rest. We’ve got a lot of work to do once you’re on your feet,” Barry said.

“Can’t wait kid,” Snart wrote back, lips upturning briefly in a smirk before he laid back down and deflated with exhaustion. 

“Caitlin, can I borrow your phone,” Barry asked, knowing Mick’s number would be the last call she received. “I have to call some more criminals.”

Barry could feel Joe’s glare at the back of his head. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do on this one.

TBC


End file.
